What is asbestos?
Asbestos is the name of a group of minerals that occur naturally as masses of strong, flexible fibers that can be separated into thin threads and woven. It is a fibrous, silicate mineral known for its durability, heat-resistance, and chemical inertness. Asbestos has been widely used in many industrial products, including cement, brake linings, roof shingles, flooring products, textiles, and in a variety of building construction materials for insulation and as a fire-retardant. These naturally occurring fibers have been mined and used for about the last 100 years with peak use in the 1970’s. At that time adverse health effects were widely associated with the use of asbestos. Although asbestos use has drastically declined in the United States, it continues to be used in developing countries. There are three main types of asbestos.
A. Asbestos (Greek a-, “not”; sbestos, “extinguishable”) Asbestos is a naturally occurring incombustible mineral, and it is mined in much the same way, as coal is, mostly in countries such as Canada, and Australia. Due to its heat resilient nature it was used by the building industry, for insulation purposes, and fire retardation. Back to top.
